Parachute



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I"UNIIllTD @TATQES FFIC.

l FLOYD SMITH, OF SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNGR T0 FLGYD SMITH AERIALEQUIPNEENT COMPANY, A. COREORATION 0F ILLINOIS.

PARACHUTE.

galones. y

Application filed July 27, 1918.

To Il 207mm t 'may concern.'

llc it known that l, FLOYD Siurri-r, a citi- 'en of the United States,residing at San Diego, in the county of San Diego, State of California,have invented new and useful lmprovements in Parachutes, of which thefollowing is a specification.

Vihis invention relates to pinfachutes and parachute paraphernalia, andparticularly to parachutes adapted to be used by aviators for lifesaving purposes. lt is an object of this invention to provide aparachute apparatus which is simple in construction, light `in weightand effective and dependable in action. lt is particularly an object ofthis invention to provide a dependable means for causing thestraightening out and opening of the parachute under all conditions,including certain conditions under which the present type of parachuteis totally inoperative or deficient in operation. Parachutes are nowcarried in shoulder packs carried upon the back of an aviator and areadapted to be released by tearing or opening the pack and adapted to beextended by air resistance or by the top of the parachute being attachedto the airplane by a cord which will break when fully extended. But thistype of parachute has a decided disadvantage in that it depends upon theaviator being able to jump and drop away fromv the airplane in order toextend the parachute and cause it to open. lf the airplane is fallingand the aviator cannot get away from it he may then merely fall with theplane.

A feature of my invention which overcornes the above mentioneddifliculty is the use of a small automatically operating parachute to beused as a means for relatively anchoring or holding` the upper end ofthe main parachute to extend the main parachute and thus cause it toproperly open. l provide a small auxiliary parachute having ribs whichare resiliently operated in some manner so as to automatically open whenthe parachute is released from the pack. This small parachute will catchthe air and will extend the main parachute, if the avi ator is eitherfalling through the air along or falling with his machine. lf he isfalling with his machine the main parachute will lift him off themachine when it opens.

The invention will be best understood from the following detaileddescription of a preferred form of apparatus, etc., referenceSpecification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 1s, 1920.

Serial No. 246,999.

for this purpose being had to the accompanying drawings in which Figure1 is an elevation showing the parachute apparatus as it will appear inuse; Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the small auxiliary parachutepartially openedilhg 3 is a view ofthe auxiliary parachute closed; Fig.4 is a detailed view showing a spring rib which may be incorporated inthe large parachute for the purpose of causing it to flare at its vloweredge to catch the air; Fig. 5 is a perspective of a form of pack andharness which may be used with my device; Fig. 6 is arear elevation ofthe same; and Fig. 7 is a View showing how the large parachute hangswhen extended. v i

In Fig. 1 I show the main parachute l. which may be of any usualconstruction with its fabric body 10 and its cords 11, the lower ends ofcords 11 being attached at 13 to the harness. This harness may beconstructed in any suitable manner. For instance, there maybe a pair ofmain back straps 14e which extend downwardly and at 14.a extendforwardly and around the wearers legs and then upwardly to a belt strap15. A chest strap 16 may also be used which is secured to the backstraps 111; and shoulder straps 17 extend over the wearers shoulders;while straps 18 extend diagonally from the belt strap to the shoulderstraps. The harness is made to support the wearer securely and stronglyfrom the straps 14, the upper ends of which are provided with snaps orhooks as indicated at 13 to engage with the parachute cords or otherparts.

The back of the harness carries a pack 2O of some fabric material, thesides of which are folded over and meet along the center of the back ofthe pack at 21 and the ends of which may be folded over in any suitablemanner under or over the folded sides as indicated at 22. The foldedsides are held together by any suitable releasable means. F or instancethese folded sides, and ends, may be held together by a thread tie orloop as indicated at 23; and then to the edges of these folded sidescords 24 may be attached, the cords being of sufficient strength tocause loops to be broken when the wearer pulls on these cords. Thesecords may be extended around to the front of the harness where they maybe run to gether or attached to a single strap or any other member asindicated at 25 whichy may Aao tion shown in Fig. o,

be extended across the wearers breast7 with a central ring a or otherhandle easy for the wearer to grasp. A pull upon the handle 25" willcause the thread ties of the pack to break and will allow the pack toopen. The parachutes are carried foldedA in this pack; and upon releaseof the pack the parachutes will then be released and the small auxiliaryparachute will-be allowed to open. This small auxiliary parachute P1 hasa fabric body l0n and has its cords 1l at" tached tothe top of the'fabric body l() of the main parachute l). Parachute P1 is constructedas is best illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3 witlrribs 30, 3l, hingedtogether at 32. The top ribs are pivoted at 33 to a member 34 Awhichforms asort oiktop plate or struction .may be varied in anymanner toprovide a means for causing the ribs 30 to move relatively to the platelas indicated by the arrows inFig. 2. Furthermore there arealso meansprovided at 2S for causing rela-tive movementol ribs 3l outwardly inythe directionindicated bythe arrowsdn Fig.

2 g' these means mayalsobc rubberbands or springs or-the like. Thevabrlc body l()a is extended over the frame work-,formed by .theseaibsThedevice is folded to the posiwiththe ribs 30 and 3l folded alongsideeach other and the lower ends of ribs 3l brought in toward the top plate34. (F ig. 3 does not show -the ribs in their most compact position,which isattained when ribs Slaremoved farther in wardly and held flatagainst ribs 30, and `which isthe position. ot the ribs,a\flien.held in.the pack. Fig. 3 shows the parachute still yfolded but inthe firstposition it assumes on being released from the pack.) rFolded in such amanner as here described this parachute is comparatively small, and

.the length of ythe folded `bundle made by it need not exceed l2 or 16inches. The ribs are lpreferably made ot resilient vmetal .or .wood, sothat although they may be folded iiatly against each other. and althoughthe ribs 3l may normally have' an outward curvature as is indicated inFigs. 2 and 3 in order to give a flare or vspread to the lower edge ofthe parachute, yet the ribs will take the general curvature of thisfabric body ot the parachute `when vthe tparachute is .in action in theair. The slight rimmediately open.

normal curvature of ribs 31 tends to initially flare the lower edge ofthe small par"L chute immediately upon release.

Uien folded in the pack the small auxiliary parachute is placed abovethe bundle vformed by the large parachute; and the small parachute ispreferably folded with its cords underneath it and in such relationtothe cords. of. both chutes that it cannot become entangled with themwhen it is released. Immediately the pack is. torn open then the smallparachute springs open and immediately catches the air (theaviatorhaving opened thepack either `while he is standing on the fallingmachine or after he has jumped away from the machine). The smallparachute immediately catchesfthe air and pulls the large.parachuteoutolthe packand straightensit into proper position. In :this position theilar-ge parachute will usually catch thel air without fail angd thenHowever Vin order 1 to makey sure of the lar-ge parachute catching theair Ianayprovideits lower ledge with ribs (any number may `ibe used:spaced .aroundthe lowered-ge) as indicated -iat :l0 and as shown indetail in Fig. .4. Here I showitwo rib portions lOihinged together .atIll Xand a rubber or other memberditt?,

attached to .the two rib `portions and ar 1 ranged so as tospread themapart. When .toldedthe rib portions.shown-below, in Fig.

l, are folded aroundiinthe direction ,imdb v catediby thearrow againstthe otherparts. These ribs are also `preferably made ot: springkmaterialand are madefso `as-to normally have a curvatureltending to flare theylower edge of the main,parachutefto cause it to more quickly andsurelyfcatclr the air. Fig. 7 shows how the parachuteghangs with itslower edge dared. If so `desired, the ribs -may be arranged betweencords dl Arather than in line Avithithem; so that'the ribs mayexpandiandfillare thefedgerof't-he parachute between ythe ends in spiteof )the downward pull tending'ztc lhold;the parachute edge down. lt.will befseenitheaction of the small auxiliary parachute is -tostraighten the large `chute out so as to iput without any specialattention on the part of the aviator.

Having now described a `preferred form of my invention, I claim:

l. In combination, a parachute `folded into a compaiav mass and havingsuspending members, a sheet oil. flexible material folded about saidparachute and permitting the ends of said suspending members to project,Vreleasable fastening means between each edge of thc sheet and someother portion. of the sheet, a releasing device, and means con `nectingsaid fastening means to said releasing device.

ln combination, a parachute folded into a compact mass, a sheet offlexible'material` folded about said parachute, releasable fas teningmeans between each edge of the sheet and some other portion of thesheet, a res leasing cord for said fastening means, and a guido for saidcord.

3. ln combination, a parachute folded into a compact mass, a sheet offlexible material Vfolded about said parachute, a series of releasablefastening devices for retaining the' sheet in its folded condition, anda releasing device extending from said fastening means to a remotepoint.

4l. ln combination, a parachute folded into a compact mass and having asuspending member, a sheet of flexible material folded about saidparachute and leaving the free end of said member projecting therefrom,a series of releasable fastening means for securing said sheet in itsfolded condition, a body harness connected to said suspending member,and a releasing device associated with said fastening means andextending to the front of said harness.V

ln combination, a parachute folded into a compact mass, a sheet offlexible material folded about said parachute so as to bring all of itsedges on the rear side of the pack so formed, a series of releasablefastening means on the rear side of said pack for maintaining the samein its assembled condition. a body harness arranged on the front side ofthe pack, a connection extending from the harness into the pack to theparachute, and a releasing device for said fas-' tening means.

G. ln combination, a parachute folded into a compact mass, a sheet offlexible material folded about said parachute so as to bring all of itsedges on the rear side of the pack so formed, a series of releasablefastening means on the rear side of said pack for maintaining the samein its assembled con-` dition, a body harness arranged on the front sideof the pack, a connection extending from the harness into the pack tothe parachute, and a releasing de yice for said fastening meansextending to a point at the front of the harness.

7. ln combination, a parachute .folded into a compact flat rectangularmass, a sheet of flexible material folded around the parachute andhaving its edges disposed on one of the larger sides, releasablefasteningy means arranged on the latter side to hold the sheet securelyin its folded condition, a body harness arranged Ion the opposite sideof the pack from that on which the fastening means are located, aconnection between said harness and said parachute, and a releasingdevice for said fastening means. j

8. in combination, a parachute folded into a compact flat rectangularmass, a sheet of liexible material folded around the parachute andhaving its edges disposed on one of the larger sides,` releasablefastening means arranged on later side 'to hold the sheet securely inits folded condition, a body harness arranged on' the opposite side ofthe pack from that on which the fastening means are located, aconnection between said harness and said parachute, and a releasingdevice extending from said fastening means toapoint at the front of saidha rness.

9. ln combination, a parachute folded into the form of a flatrectangular mass, a sheet of fiexible material folded about said massand having its four edges disposed on one of the broader sides,releasable fastening means securing each edge of the sheet to anadjacent part of the sheet, a body harness lying on the side of theenveloped parachute opposite to that on which the fastening means arelocated, a connection between the harness and the parachute, and areleasing device extending from said fastening means to a. point on theharness.

l0. ln combination, a parachute folded into a compact mass and havingsuspending members, a sheet of flexible material folded about saidparachute and permitting the ends of said flexible member to project,releasable fastening means between each edge of the sheet and some otherportion of the sheet, and means for simultaneously releasing saidfastening means and drawing back portions ofthe sheet to expose theparachute.

11. In, combination, a parachute folded into a compact mass and havingsuspending members, a sheet of flexible material folded about saidparachute and permitting the ends of said suspending members to project,a body harness attached to the central portion of said sheet, releasablefastening means between each end and side edge of the sheet and someother portion of the sheet, and means for simultaneously releasing saidfastening means and drawing the sides of the sheet into the plane ofsaid central portion so as to expose the parachute.

12. ln combination, a parachute folded into a compact mass and havingsuspending members, a sheet of flexible material folded about saidparachute and permitting the ends of said suspending members to project,a body harness attached to the central portion of said sheet, releasablefastening means between each end and side edge of the sheet and someother portion of the sheet, means for simultaneously releasing saidfastening means and drawing the sides of the sheet into the plane oisaid central portion so as to expose the parachute, and a small pilotparachute attached to the apex of the aforesaid parachute.

In combination, a parachute folded into a compact vmass'and havingsuspending members, asmall pilot parachute attached to the apenv of `theaforesaid parachute, a sheet ol flexible material 'folded around saidparachutes and permitting the'ends o said suspending members to project,releasable ifastening means between each edge of the sheet and someother portion of the sheet, and a releasing device extending from saidfastening means to a remote point.

lll. rlhe combination with a parachute folded into a compact, flat,rectangular mass,

of asheet of flexiblemateral Yfolded about and inclosing the same, 1theyedges of Ithe sheetall lying on the same side of the package thusformed, each edge of the sheet overlapping the opposed edge `and atleastone other edge of the sheet so as toviorni a coinplete closure,'relasable fastening means Yfor holding the edges of the sheet againstdisplacement, and a pull cord connected with said fastening means torelease the same.

In Witness that .l claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed myname'this 25th day of July 1918.

FLOYD SMITH.

itnesses YWir. E. VDoNsoN, yH. A. HICKS.

